This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
1. Field of Technology
The present disclosure relates to a wheel assembly positioning device that allows a maintenance technician to lower or raise a wheel assembly for dismounting and mounting of the wheel assembly to a vehicle.
2. Background of the Technology
Automotive maintenance often requires the dismounting and mounting of wheel assemblies. That process normally takes place after the vehicle has been raised several feet off the ground by a vehicle lift. Although raising the vehicle can provide better access to the vehicle during many maintenance procedures, the elevation of the vehicle above the floor upon can sometimes result in the maintenance technician being required to lift heavy objects such as, for example, wheel assemblies.
This situation occurs most often when the maintenance technician must remove a wheel assembly from the vehicle. In that case, the maintenance technician must remove the wheel assembly fasteners, lift the wheel assembly from the vehicle, and carefully place the wheel assembly upon the floor. The wheel assembly normally comprises a tire that is mounted upon a metal wheel and the metal wheel has a set of openings into which the wheel assembly fasteners can be placed to attach the wheel assembly to the vehicle. In many cases, the wheel assembly can be very heavy and can sometimes weigh two hundred pounds. Therefore, not only is it difficult for the maintenance technician to remove and lower the wheel assembly to the floor during dismounting of the wheel assembly, during remounting of the wheel to the vehicle the maintenance technician must lift the wheel assembly into a mounting position next to the vehicle and then carefully rotate the wheel assembly until the wheel assembly fastener mounting holes align with the matching component of the vehicle. This simultaneous lifting and aligning process can be slow and cumbersome, and can place severe strain on the maintenance technician that can result in serious injury to the technician or damage to the wheel assembly and vehicle.
It would be desirable to provide the maintenance technician with a tool that allows the technician to lower a wheel assembly, raise the wheel assembly, and then be able to rotate the wheel assembly to align and install the wheel assembly mounting fasteners without the technician being required to simultaneously carry the full weight of the wheel assembly. Additionally, it would be desirable to have such a tool that is relatively small and lightweight, and able to provide for quick downward and upward movement of the wheel assembly during dismounting and mounting of the wheel assembly.